Just buy it from Best Buy... they're $199 is out the door, they don't do mail-in rebates anymore.

Dasg, $199 with $100 mail-in-rebate.
I can get a blackjack 2 for $49 with $100 MIR on at&t with 3g.
I prefer saving the $150 than to get the same phone with a touch screen.

mama mia, $549!

$549 from the Sprint store.... $199.99 out the door from Best Buy regardless of upgrade eligability as long as you re-up your contract.

The only way this becomes an issue is if you make it one

And Sprint is a 3G network as well Bustapr, and a fast 3G at that. (So long as you get service in your area that is, lol)

Also, Sprint will be rolling out 4G in the near future, they already launched 4G in Portland back in January. Sprint's customer service may be the worst on the planet (I'm gonna say it is), but if you live in an area where the service works, its one of the best networks out there.

Anyhow, is the pre worth the $150 difference from a blacjack 2? NO!

Um, absolutely?

They're not even in the same league in terms of features and specs.

The Blackjack 2 is a great workhorse sure, but it doesn't even come close to the Pre in terms of features or innovation. In the end its all about what you want or need. I'm a fan of gadgetry, and the Pre looks amazing.

Check out some of the stuff the Pre can do, you'll be getting a version on the AT&T network sooner or later... may be worth it to pick one up eventually. But we'll see how it fares after it launches on Sprint's network.

Only way Im gettin one is if it makes it way to Verizon. Cause no one uses sprint.

Get the iPhone 2009 and forget the extra $$$ Pre.

Lets do a comparison….
Iphone 2009 - Pre
1) 32GB vs 8GB
2) Video Recording/Editing vs No video
3) OLED (color,viewing angles, battery life) vs LCD
4) Longer battery life vs Shorter battery life
5) FM Transmitter vs No FM transmitter
6) 3.2MP vs 3MP
7) Larger Screen OLED vs Smaller Screen LCD
8 ) GPS/Compas/Turn-by-turn vs GPS
9) 256 RAM vs 256 RAM
10) Fast Objective C games vs Java Based Games
11) Webkit Browser vs Webkit Browser
12) 3G vs 3G
13) 600Mhz ARM vs 600Mhz ARM
14) MMS with video vs No Video MMS
15) WIFI with Adhoc Gaminig (OS3.0) vs WIFI
16) Audio Sharing (OS3.0) vs NO Audio Sharing
17) 35,000 Apps vs Handful Apps
18) Itunes Store (Music, Podcasts) vs No Itunes
19) Bluetooth 2.1 vs Bluetooth 2.1
20) Multi Touch vs Multi Touch
21) Non Physical vs Physical Keyboard (Wears Out)
22) AT&T Network vs Sprint Network
23) $199(16GB)/$299(32GB) vs $299(8GB - $100 Rebate)
24) Thousands Accessories (car, docks, cases) vs Hardly none

Actually, I use Sprint, get better reception than my friends on other networks, and have had customer support fix problems for me twice (once technical, once billing) within half an hour. While I don't doubt that Sprint has be rotten to many people, they've never been bad to me, so I'm sticking with them.

Isn't that still speculation? The phone hasn't been officially announced yet, much less the details.

"Speculation is the new truth"

The pre is a much better phone than any blackjack out there.

The blackjack 2 is better than 1 but still a junk phone.

I use own both of them, lucky for me i sold them on ebay.

Oh, you forgot one.
Pompous ass vs. pleasant person

Ya that makes a lot of sense. Since I showed every Pre fan that the iPhone 2009 demolishes the Pre specs wise that makes me an ass. Sorry but you are far from plesant and you are the ass.

Pre fans you know those specs aren't speculaiton because Wired today had good sources. Even toms reported on it and believe it to be true. You will see July 17 when it launches. So then I will refresh this page if you want to keep challenging those specs.

Get on with yourself Fanboy, iPhone = Still on the AT&T network, and thats something that will keep me away for a LONG time.

I'm extremely happy with the Pre specs and everything that its doing thus far. Def my phone of choice... helps that its on my network.

And as far as Wired goes... This is real hardware vs. real hardware.

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/05/pre-vs-iphone/

Thanks Wired for summing it up.

$200 under contract is fine. But $200 after contract and MIR is BS. Screw that. I'd boycott the thing just because of the MIR.

Only the sick would pay $549 for a phone. You can get a netbook for much less and pick up a 3G solution for $100 from Verizon that works with any wifi device.

sprint? really? palm should go on failblog just for choosing sprint

Wow, a "reporter", and I use this term loosely, well actually tongue in cheek because it's evident by the title of this article she was reaching for hit counts on this site without any real concern or ability it seems to report the "news" objectively, got it all wrong. She report sites a totally different article as it's basis!, Also though it is factual and just ONE!

It's all hearsay! Worse than that, "it's he said she said", the worse example of "telephone you know that game you played in elementary school where you tell someone something and they tell someone and so on and at the end the story is completely different.", kinda crap editorial.

Question for Miss I can't do a Five second Google search or make a 2 minute phone call to a local Sprint store to validate your half-ass, poorly written and complete opinion piece passed off as "news", Can you buy an iPhone off contract from ATT?

Also what network are you taking your supposed "$550" Pre? Certainly not ATT.